Unemployed Man Arrested for Stealing Reflective Road Signs from Bridge and Highway Shoulder to Sell for Cash
An unemployed man was arrested on Highway 12 in Khon Kaen after stealing reflective warning signs from bridges and road barriers to sell for cash, endangering nighttime motorists.
On April 28, 2026, highway police officers led by Lieutenant Colonel Phon Sakdi Lao Churi Ralay conducted an arrest operation that resulted in the capture of 47-year-old Chaiyant at kilometer 560+281 on Highway 12 in Phra Lap Subdistrict, Muang District, Khon Kaen Province. Officers discovered three reflective sign panels and one hammer in his possession.
The arrest followed a report from Phra Lap Highway Division officials that multiple reflective warning signs installed along bridge railings and highway shoulder barriers—critical safety devices protecting nighttime road users—had been stolen. When officers arrived at the scene to investigate, they caught Chaiyant actively removing a reflective panel from a bridge railing using a hammer. A search of his bicycle revealed two additional panels in the front basket.
During questioning, Chaiyant confessed that he was unemployed and needed money, so he decided to remove the reflective signs along the bridge to sell them. He was charged with theft of public property and handed over to police at Muang Khon Kaen Station for further legal proceedings.
